1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of machines for high speed depositing of viscous flowable food materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to depositing machines having a peristaltic device for depositing viscous materials in repetitive singular quantities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many prior devices have been developed for the transportation and control of viscous flowable materials. For example, Beshaw, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,195 sets forth a dough and batter dispenser having a hopper and rotatable valve unit to dispense dough and batter in a controlled manner. According to Beshaw, the dough maintains direct contact with a number of intricate moving parts. The direct contact with moving parts presents a significant burden, inter alia, for cleaning of the machine and for maintaining sanitary conditions.
A number of additional devices have been developed to control flowable materials through the elastic deformation of a flexible tube. Malbec, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,679 relates to a peristaltic pump wherein a plurality of rollers cooperate to continuously and repetitively deform sections of a flexible tube. The rollers rotate about a fixed shaft to alternately deform sections of the flexible tube to and provide a pumping action to the interior liquid. The action of Malbec provides a continuous pumping action for non-viscous liquids, such as windshield wiper fluid. Ledebuhr, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,061 relates to a peristaltic metering pump for dispensing liquid materials. A flexible tube encircles a rotor assembly having three rollers. As the rollers rotate about a fixed pin, the tube flexes to provide a pumping action to the liquid. Penstermacher, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,696 relates to a peristaltic pump having a plurality of flexible tubes that are repetitively deformed by six rotating rollers. Each of the rollers rotates with respect to a central stationary axis point. Huegerich, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,935 relates to a viscous food dispensing assembly incorporating a rotating pump head. A deformable tube encircles a portion of the rotating pump head and is repetitively deformed during rotation of the pump head.
As set forth above, prior peristaltic pumps incorporating rollers and flexible tubes generally deform the tubes through rotation of a plurality of rollers about an arcuate surface. However, the rotating action of the rollers is generally directed to a pumping action to force output of a material or a so-called metering action to control a rate of streaming output.